One of the main players behind the Xbox, Blackley’s speech will discuss “the future of fun,” during EIF.

“The future of fun is the same as it was in the past and the present,” said Blackley. “It is great gameplay. It always amazes me when people realize it all comes back to gameplay. The industry goes in cycles. We try new consoles, new business models. We try gimmicks that turn out not to work, and then we realize that what works is great gameplay.

“It’s like a spouse’s birthday: it is the same time every year but you still forget it. It is always about gameplay.”